Chapter 10

Chapter 10 "Ruth Rose, what are you talking about?" Josh said. Dink didn't know what to think, except that he was getting a headache. "What makes you think I'm Wallis Wallace?" Mavis asked. Ruth Rose walked over to Mavis. "May I borrow your scarf?" she said.

Ruth Rose held the scarf up so everyone could see it. "When I first saw this scarf, I thought these little black letters were M's," she said. "M for Mavis." She looked at Mavis Green. "But they're not M's, are they?" She turned the scarf completely upside down. "What do they look like now?" Dink stepped closer. "They're little W's now!" "Right. Double-U, double-U for Wallis Wallace!" Ruth Rose pointed at the man. "You just said you live in a little cottage. But Wallis Wallace lives in a big castle in Maine. It says so on the cover of The Silent Swamp." Ruth Rose pointed at Mavis's book bag. "Seeing your bag again made me remember something I thought of today. Josh read that your castle was called Moose Manor. There's a picture of a moose on the side of your bag." Ruth Rose handed the scarf back to Mavis. "And we read that Wallis Wallace's favorite color is green. You like green ice cream, and you chose Mavis Green for your fake name." Everyone was staring at Ruth Rose, except for the man they had untied. He started laughing.

"The cat's out of the bag now, sis," he said. Then Mavis laughed and gave Ruth Rose a hug. "Yes, Ruth Rose," Mavis said. "I really am Wallis Wallace." She put her hand on the man's shoulder. "And this is my brother, Walker Wallace. We've been planning my 'kidnapping' for weeks!" Dink stared at Mavis, or whoever she was. "You mean Wallis Wallace is a woman?" he said. "Yes, Dink, I'm a woman, and I'm definitely Wallis Wallace." She winked at him. "Honest!" Mavis, the real Wallis Wallace, sat on the bed. She took off her glasses and pulled the barrettes out of her hair. She shook her hair until it puffed out in a mass of wild curls. "Thank goodness I can be myself now!" she said. "All day I've had to act like timid Mavis Green. I can't wait to get out of this fuddy-duddy dress and into my jeans again!" She kicked off her shoes and wiggled her toes in the air. "Boy, does that feel good!" Dink blinked and shook his head. Mavis Green was really Wallis Wallace? He couldn't believe it. "But why did you pretend to be kidnapped?" he asked.

The real Wallis Wallace grinned at the kids' surprised faces. "I owe you an explanation," she said. "My new book is about a children's mystery writer who gets kidnapped. In my book, some children rescue the writer. I wanted to find out how real kids might solve the mystery," she explained. She smiled at Dink. "Then your letter came, inviting me to Green Lawn. That's what gave me the idea to fake my own kidnapping. I'd become Mavis Green and watch what happened." "Oh, yeah!" Dink said. "In your letter, you said you were doing some research in Connecticut." She nodded. "Yes, and I mentioned the word 'kidnap' in the letter to get you thinking along

those lines." She smiled at the three kids. "I thought I'd have to give you more clues, but you solved the mystery all by yourselves!" Dink laughed. "You recognized me in the bookstore from my picture," he said. "And you didn't send me a picture so I wouldn't recognize you!" "Then my nutty sister dragged me into her plan," Walker Wallace said. "I should be home checking my lobster pots." "While you were eating lunch, Walker and I ate ours up here," Wallis said. "Then, just before two o'clock, I tied him in the chair and ran down-stairs to meet you out front as Mavis." Wallis Wallace threw back her head and laughed. "Do you remember downstairs when Dink said there was something fishy on the third floor?" She got up and stood next to her brother. "Well, I'm always teasing Walker about smelling fishy from handling his lobster bait. So when you said something was fishy in the hotel, I had to pretend to cough so you wouldn't know I was really laughing!" "Boy, did you have us fooled," Dink said.

Wallis Wallace grinned. "Mr. Paskey was in on it. I had to tell him the truth. As you saw this morning at the Book Nook, my little scheme made him very nervous. I've promised him I'll come back and do a real book signing soon. But I'll be in disguise, so be prepared for anything!" Dink shook his head. "I was so disappointed because I couldn't meet my favorite author this morning," he said. "And I've been with you all day and didn't even know it!" She looked at Dink. "I'm so sorry I tricked you. Will you forgive me?" Dink blushed. "Sure." "I have a question," Josh said. "Where did you really sleep last night?" "Right here in Room 302. A few weeks ago, I telephoned to reserve two rooms next to each other. Last night, I checked into Room 303 as Wallis Wallace, the man. Up in Room 303, I took off the hat and coat and sunglasses. Then I sneaked back down to the lobby wearing a blond wig. I checked in again, this time into Room 302." "Did you smudge the signature?" Ruth Rose asked.